OOO
by TheBoglies
Summary: Olive Tree (Tuscany Kisses), Ooh la la (Childhood soulmates) and OH NO (Poor Lizzie)! A new fan fiction by Carrie-Anne
1. Parts 1 thru 3

**Olive tree (Tuscany Kisses), Ooh la la (Childhood soul mates), and OH NO (Poor Lizzie)!**

**By: Carrie-Anne**

**A/N: This story (in my 'story series' wise) comes after FFF and before RRR--instead of putting it all in Italics because it dates back to Series 1,2, 3 and 4 (1999-2003—except, I saw the show a year after it was aired in UK so the year Archie and Lexie got married is different in my story—not 2002 but 2003)—I'm writing it in present day form. I've been doing some 'Lizzie' research and I decided to twist all three Lizzie's we've seen into one—Ta Da! Man that was um interesting---but I kinda adopted this Lizzie by watching epi 5, Series 1, epi 7, Series 2 and the dreaded epi 6, Series 5 again aside from recently seeing and remembering epi 4, Series 4 (with David Fraser). The Lizzie being a 'masseuse' is something I made up since she lived that 'stressful' PR career and wanting Martha. I'll post my references...I did a lot of 'looking' up Florence, Tuscany Italy to write these first few parts---I'm not going by Lizzie meeting Martha's father in France...I'm twisting it, you'll see.**

**_Somewhere Only We Know --Keane  
_**__

I walked across an empty land  
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand  
I felt the earth beneath my feet  
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone  
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree  
I felt the branches of it looking at me  
Is this the place we used to love?  
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone  
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don't we go  
Talk about it somewhere only we know?  
This could be the end of everything  
So why don't we go  
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone  
I'm getting old and I need something to rely on  
So tell me when you're gonna let me in  
I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

So if you have a minute why don't we go  
Talk about it somewhere only we know?  
This could be the end of everything  
So why don't we go  
So why don't we go

This could be the end of everything  
So why don't we go  
Somewhere only we know?

**Chapter One ****J**** Florence, Italy---Autumn 1999 ****J**

On a rather 'warm' autumn day, a blonde haired and hazel eyed woman with a white 'Sunday's best' hat, wearing a red blouse, floral scarf draped around her neck, and a grey pair of slacks, stepped off the train and onto the platform. She first looked up at the sky until a breeze zipped in blowing the hat from her head. It swirled and twirled into the air but before Lizzie MacDonald could make a grab for it a man's hand did...

"Here..." Lizzie took a moment to latch her fingers onto her stowaway luggage before replying, "Thank-you, I was a wee bit concerned that my hat would be on the rrrr---?" Lizzie looked up at him and a nervous smile formed on her face...

"Lizzie MacDonald, small world after all?" An old friend smiled back and gave her a wink before handing over her hat to her.

"Aye, it is, what are you doing in Florence?"

"Never thought I'd see a familiar face this far away from home...how's Glenbogle?" The man, an old childhood mate of hers, tipped his head while ran his hand which had held her hat through his burnt blond hair and laughed, nervously.

"I wouldn't know, living a life of PR in the 'big' metropolis of...?"

"London as well? You look it," The old friend teased, before adding, "You know look lovely," The old 'friend' of hers replied before offering a helping hand with her luggage aside from carrying his own.

"What?" Lizzie stared at him strangely and then bedazzled at getting a friendly comment from him. The old friend smiled reassuringly, as she then posed a common question, "What have you been up too, David? I'm going to guess that last bit is a complement to my looks?"

"Always, Lizzie, it is, you look marvelous. Still living the life of a financial advisor and selling businesses strategies, tactical marketing, and insurance in the 'big' metropolis of---?" David Fraser winked, laughed and teased Lizzie which made her chuckle out, "London."

"Yes, right, London...How's Archie?"

"Archie is Archie. He's running like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to tend to mother and father, the estate to which he now owns and then his life back in London."

"I thought he was trying to open a restaurant with Justine, the last time I talked to him about business he was..."

"He opened it, with her, had a smashing grand opening actually, it was in the papers, surprised you didn't read it...or does your kind actually read newsprint?" Lizzie teased and flashed grin which actually made David chuckle back, "Hmmmm...Newsprint, I'm sorry, I still make a boat out of it and float the boat in the loch and then fall in after it."

"I was nine when that happened and I wouldn't have fallen in if you and Jamie hadn't decided to 'sink my battleship with stones and sling shots during that 'boat' race.'" Lizzie retorted, before David smiled, "Aye, but it was so much fun getting the chance to 'rescue the fair maiden of the loch,' and swim after you..."

"For whom, Mr. Fraser?"

"For you..." David joked as Lizzie rolled her eyes in away that made David laugh again. Lizzie and David entered the train station as Lizzie turned to him, "Well, Davy, I'll take my suitcase from here, good to see you, I'll tell Archie hello."

"Davy, I haven't heard that in years...nice to cross paths with you too, and yes give Archie my regards, Liz, may we meet again,"

"May we...well, just contact Archie and he'll let you know where I'm living... thanks for the trip down memory lane and saving my poor defenseless hat," as Lizzie placed her hat back on her head, waved to him, while David, whom waved back, watched her tote her luggage behind her and towards information desk, instead of traveling him self on...

"I need the nearest taxi..." Lizzie started to speak Italian but it came out to the receptionist, 'Excuse me, I fly on the bunk steam boat...' David listened to Lizzie rattle on and on like a broken record as the attendant, staring at Lizzie like she was a foreign alien, who she was, replied back in 'mocking tone' Italian, "No bunk steam boats here. I'm closed."

Lizzie sighed exasperatedly, as she spoke again, "Excuse me I need the nearest taxi...vrrummm, vrummm..."

The attendant rolled her eyes at Lizzie and kept saying (in broken English, even though she was actually a fluent English speaker) again and again, "No speak English, Italian Information Desk" and pointing at a sign that stated, "CLOSED" in big green letters, "No! No! No speak English—you need to go to the 'English information desk! Closed!'"

Minutes after Lizzie continued to speak atrocious Italian, and the attendant continued to be stubborn as possible, Lizzie boasted in full on English—still ignoring the 'sign' that the woman pointed out on her desk, " I don't understand! Listen Lassie, I have work to do. I have to check into a hotel, and all I need is a taxi! Help me out here!" Lizzie put her hands up again as if she were steering a car while trying to justify her now testy attitude towards the grumpy dark haired woman dressed in a blue business suit with a red tied collar (with no name tag). David in a distance stood there and shook his head at Lizzie's 'vehicle impression' and could tell by her body language and her raised voice that she wasn't the least bit impressed with the info desk woman and thought to himself, '_How much longer shall I let the fair maiden drown? Um...sink or swim, darling. Ah right help her float, off to the rescue...'_

Attendant sited back in another 'crude' Italian voice and with her 'first impression thoughts of Lizzie' , "Crazy woman tourist—snobby, bratty to boot, in vain, must have money with her pressed outfit, her girly scarf and frou-frou hat, no car in the station nutcase...it's outside of the station, what does she think this place is a circus? I'm closed."

"Slow down! Slow down! I don't speak Italian that fast!" A now frenzied Lizzie pleaded at the attendant who bantered on and on and then gave her unruly looks and heaved a few heavy sighs, while Lizzie added one last "Vruummm, vruuummm..." with her hands at 10 o'clock and Two o'clock on her pretend steering wheel and bellowed out trying to get the awful woman's attention, "Tassì?"

The frustrating 'who refused to speak English' attendant and Lizzie then heard from the far desk corner in her fluent tongue, charming her as best as he could, "Madam, before you close, kindly direct my friend in the direction of a taxi...I'd appreciate it if you'd help her out."

Lizzie turned her body to face a very stern faced David, who knew where the taxis were at the station but he just wanted to stand up for Lizzie. David placed him self proudly behind her, while wrapping an arm around the small of her back. The terrible desk 'ogre' glanced at David getting huffy because she just wanted to end her work day, but pulled out a map of the station circled a taxi landing outside, slung the map down on the desk top and pointed them in the direction---while giving them both a 'friendly now get lost' superficial grin.

David spoke up again to the attendant which shut the woman right up when she realized he had heard every word that she said about Lizzie, "Thank-you, and one more thing, you're not fooling anyone honey with that fake get-up, 1960's wig, and your bldy lousy directions _aside from faking 'not speaking English' to boot. Have a great afternoon, ditzy nutcase."_

David then carted Lizzie towards the exit while taking over carrying her luggage again and she nodded her head with gratitude for David's help. He handed her the map, "Sorry in there, she wasn't the best person to ask for directions, infact I've met her before...she knows English, she was just being difficult and trying to send you away since she wanted to get off her 'shift' apparently."

"Thanks for stepping in, you've met her before?"

"Yes, I could have directed you to a taxi, but I wanted to put the sorry excuse of a woman in her place. And you're still the fair maiden to rescue, Lizzie MacDonald, why wouldn't I step in?" David started to play up his 'hero' role again, charming Lizzie, hoping to charm her...

Lizzie started to blush at David, of all people, her older brother Jamie's best mate ever, before changing back to the subject, "My fault really, trying to speak Italian...I took a very crash course in it three weeks ago and I guess I didn't learn anything with the books on tape, How many times---?"

"I've been here let's see ten times over the past year? There's never a dull moment in Florence, it's actually quite a remarkable place..." David went on and then questioned, "First time?"

"First time," Lizzie replied as she took a look around the busy street with taxis lined up waiting to drive patrons to their destinations.

"I wish I could show Jamie's little sister around the city, for her first time..." David piped up, interested in spending more time with Lizzie and taking more trips down memory lane...David missed home, missed her, always asked Archie about her over the phone and Archie never gave him any information about her whereabouts...just said 'still Lizzie, flaky, flighty, and always failing at something to which blows up in her face and when it does I'm left with the pieces and trying to help glue her back together.'

"I'd like that," Lizzie added nicely, "But I have to check into my room at the hotel, and I'm very busy with getting my presentation together for the trade fair."

David dropped his head and glanced at the map, trying to avoid staring, and any sort of 'old' attraction he had for 'Jamie's little sister', but he couldn't do it and said, while gazing at her, "Where's your hotel?"

"Hotel Pitti Palace,"

"Nice place, walking distance actually," David added as Lizzie answered, "Really?"

"No need for a taxi, unless you really want one..." David suggested, before concluding, "With your luggage, maybe you should get one...the lift is on me..."

"Oh no," Lizzie refused David for paying for her taxi as they approached a driver.

"I insist, Elizabeth...my lemonade queen," David called by her 'childhood nickname.'

Lizzie laughed, as flash of memories came back to her, when they were both so young, "Lemonade queen, I haven't heard that one since..."

"We decided to dye Archie's hair the color of lemons and made him wear signs, on front and on back of his body, and painted 'purple' letters, 'lemonade a couple shillings.' So we could market off our 'drink' in the village during long hot summer days...we took good ol' Killwillie's 'get rich quick' speech to the extreme you might say, and all for the love of..." David joked as Lizzie giggled infectiously, "Ice cream. Mummy wasn't happy about that one, since we stole her hair dye and bleach for the washing...Arch, he got into so much trouble, Jamie---he called him 'Lemonhead' all summer long...how old were we?"

"Oh I'd say about eleven..." David smiled at Lizzie as he then chatted in Italian to the driver about Lizzie's hotel and helped place her luggage into the back of the trunk. Lastly, David then opened the door for Lizzie while she climbed in, settled herself on the seat and then glanced at him through the rolled down window. David reached out to give Lizzie some money, smiled again, "Take it, Liz."

"Thank-you, for another trip down memory lane..."

"Still my pleasure...may we meet again..." David was _positive_ about it...

"We may," Lizzie beamed _hopeful_ as David hit the roof of the taxi for the driver to know to take off.

**Chapter Two---Remember when... ****J**

Later that night, Lizzie, wrapped in a terry cloth robe and ready to check out the 'life-sized' bathtub, strolled in to the bathroom. She was exhausted with the figures and labels for a 'table' wine, all twenty six crates of it, which surrounded her bed in her hotel room. It took five bellhops to bring the wine to her hotel door and use huge gold luggage racks to 'roll' it all in. The wine was Chianti Merlot, or a Tuscan table wine from a small vineyard just outside of the city, and since Lizzie was the vineyard's 'business or PR' rep—she would be selling and gearing it towards 'restaurant folk, personal interests and other Tuscan and within Italian businesses' at the fair...

Lizzie turned on the faucet and ran the tap, added bubbles, which came from soap in her handy travel bag, and she tested it out with her fingertips. Her fingers skimmed the top and making ripples on the surface, before finally, scooting out of her robe and into the lavender scented water. Lizzie was in heaven, placed a wash cloth over her face, started to hum a wee tune to herself...until...

Thirty minutes later, banging and clanging happened at her hotel room door. Lizzie awoke from the water, as she had fallen asleep in the bath. She quickly jumped up and out, rewrapped her robe around her...her hair still in a 'half' bun, with just a few hair wisps at the nape of her neck which curled up from being wet...greeted her distraught 'guest' at the door.

"Look, your room, is above my room and... Lizzie..." David started to chant in Italian before realizing Lizzie stood before him. He had meant to call the front desk for her room number, but got side tracked with his business dealings and phone calls---deciding it was too late to disturb her, he told himself would find her in the morning...

"David?" As a mad dash of hotel staff rushed in past Lizzie with mops, wrenches, plumbing supplies and tool kits past her.

"As I was saying, you've flooded my room, which is below you," David frowned and Lizzie sighed, before they both let out a small laugh, "I'm so sorry, David, I fell asleep in the bath tub."

"I see considering my room now resembles a paddle pool, at least you didn't drown in the tub, you are all right?" David then scolded her as his face showed some concern for her well being.

"I'm fine really. I was warm, cozy, and well, just like father when he bathes in bubbles, I dozed right off."

"Don't worry about it. I seem to have a knack for rescuing you today, my fair maiden?" David sighed with relief, and Lizzie perked up, "You didn't say you were staying here when you had me taxied away?"

"Oh, change of lodging at last minute...I was going to get your room number and ring you when I checked in, but I thought you'd be sleeping and I was half right." David nervously chuckled which made Lizzie smile and laugh again. David tried not to let on he changed his hotel so he'd have a greater chance of bumping into her again...

Lizzie glanced at him quizzically and asked, "Yeah, sleeping...Why the change?"

"The hotel I picked was dreadful," David lied 'smoothly' as Lizzie laughed, catching him in his lie, "But you've been here how many times? Wouldn't you know...?"

"I know, but I'm still getting used to the area, tenth time, first time...still learning the place," David shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his head with his hand...taking more notice of how Lizzie was dressed and smiling, "There's still places open this late...we could get some coffee or some tea..."

Lizzie blushed again, realizing she was still in a bath cloak, and used her right hand to pull the robe tight at her chest, and knowing David would make some kind of a comment...but he didn't...not at first, "That would be lovely, David, but I think I might scare the city people away suited up like this..."

"Nah, just add curlers to your hair, face mask and then you might resemble Lady Frankenstein..." Lizzie gave David's shoulder a shove with her hand, before her body felt a warm, enchanting and magical tingle from when her hand touched him, "Hush up, you..."

"So?"

"Aye, fine meet you in a bit then?" Lizzie replied as David nodded with a very sly grin, trying to 'play it cool' but happy she was going to join him.

"Lobby, twenty minutes, or I search you out...with or without the robe, curlers and face mask..." David punned while giving one last sweet gaze at Lizzie before giving her shoulder a playful shove and whistling to him self while traveling away down the hall.

"You as a masseuse, you're kidding?" David and Lizzie sipped coffee together, chuckling and chatting about everything under the big full moon during the night.

"No, no, David, PR—health, art and entertainment relations are...stressful, massaging giving is...relaxing. I got my chance to become one and well, I did...I've only been certified for about three months, but I don't run an office or anything for that type of work---I just do it on the side with my full time career in my flat back in London. Just before Archie returned home, he helped be my practice dummy...and so in return, I---?"

"Helped get critics to check out his new restaurant?" David finished Lizzie's sentence.

Lizzie nodded swiftly, before setting her cup down on the table and raising her head to peer at David again, "You still catch on, I sold them on it, Archie, Justine and the critics, you know, my business sense...impressive that you still listen to me, David. Archie hates it when I ramble and dance around the points of conversation."

"I'm not Archie. I've always loved hearing you talk. Jamie, ah, Jamie, he was always a character, talked dignified and miles a minute, I never got a word in edgewise...must be an older sibling MacDonald trait then?" David continued to flatter Lizzie and his voice drifted off when he thought of his best friend, whom never made it to Oxford with him...that was the 'big' dream, for David and Jamie as adolescents to both attend Oxford and join the rowing team on the side...

"Perhaps, or you're just a great listener---father is always awful at it..."

David laughed and Lizzie gave him a look, "What?"

"That's the fourth time you've mentioned Hector tonight..."

"I'm sorry, I never get too..."

"Don't apologize, Lizzie, it's quite all right..."

"David, I used to search for a way to communicate with my father...or strike some common ground so I would have something similar to him..."

"But..." David sensed Lizzie needed someone to talk too and she picked David right away, like she would when they were kids.

"Ever since Jamie died, part of father died with him...he's a bricklayer, always putting up walls, never allowing anyone to tend to him or love him, and well...he built the wall so high, between him and I, I just don't know how to connect with him."

Lizzie's eyes for the first time in a long time, started to tear right up, David being 'a loving, kind and wonderful soul' reached out, placed his left hand on hers, soothing her, putting her at ease, and himself instantly while replying, "You'll connect, you're good at it, Lizzie, just like you and I connected wonderfully again when we got off the train."

Lizzie wiped her face with her napkin after pulling her hand away from his grasp, while her eyes scanned his left hand, something Archie had told her popped up in her mind about David and she said, "You think?"

"Of course I do, so let's you and I blow this Popsicle stand, I have a few places in mind to show you..." David tried to cheer her up as best as he could...while offering her a hand.

"All right then, show me," as Lizzie accepted his hand, while David helped her up from the black filigree designed table with cast iron Victorian backed seats which sat on the cobbled sidewalk outside of the café.

They were out all night long, Lizzie and David, walking the cobble stoned, narrow streets of Florence, taking in the views of Ponte Vecchio and the Arno River...

"The bridge dates back to 1080's---first to be stone way back then when all the Roman's did was build with wood before hand, the shops have been around since the 12 century," David explained carefully as Lizzie laughed as she scanned the yellow, then white, then dark green, then blue bright patterned buildings which lined the old walking bridge. The shops had rolled up red and white cloth sun roofs which would hang over their outside the shop goods during the open hours. They also had dark green, white and red flags and name signs hanging over the shop doors. There were also big glass front windows, which clearly displayed lettering about goods, prices, and sales---everything from foods, wines, to clothing and souvenir shops, "Older than my family that's for sure,"

"Mine and yours put together," David chuckled as they continued to stroll, Lizzie stopped walking and turned to him, "How come we've been in the same city and you never once rung me?" Lizzie immediately rubbed her forehead clear of 'silly me for asking that' wrinkles, when everything Archie had told her about David's personal life in London popped up again in her head.

David blew out a breath, smiled again to relieve her and added, "Well, I got reports on you,"

"You checked up on me?"

"Of course, through Archie, but he never gave me much to go on about your life."

"Archie," Lizzie rolled her eyes, "He never said anything remotely good about me did he?"

"Archie, of course he did..." David lied again, while flashing a false smile, as Lizzie, knowing he was just trying to keep her from getting her feelings hurt, picked up on the lie and said bluntly, "No he didn't, well not everything..."

"Okay, you have a weird boyfriend who loves to talk to dead people." David blurted out hoping Lizzie wasn't still 'attached' to Gerald.

Lizzie snickered in correction, "I _had_ a weird boyfriend, split up two weeks ago, mutual decision."

"Oh, sorry to hear this? Where did you find him again?" David seemed happy to hear the word 'had' in her sentence and waited to hear more.

"Aye, oh, PR work, my boss had me 'promoting' part of 'people and health' entertainment---Gerald, over a year ago, sold me on his 'ways to heal people' and I took the 'good will of the situation' and tried to help him profit from it. Anyway, Archie wasn't impressed with my idea to turn the estate into a healing center months ago—it never happened—you know Arch, and well Gerald and I were never meant to work out, I s'pose," Lizzie shook her head, and didn't bring up the fact that Gerald and her had miscarried two babies since they had been together and gone through three 'fake' pregnancies as it just drove a huge wedge between them aside from Lizzie's wanting a baby and not facing the reality, according to Gerald, that it might not happen.

However, Lizzie could hear their last argument---their parting of ways, her kicking him out of her flat two weeks ago, going over and over in her head---Gerald being passive and Lizzie getting aggressive—the relationship they had taking a turn for the worse as Lizzie, sensing she was getting emotional again forced the memories out of her mind.

David and she stood side by side glancing down at the river water below the wide bridge, near the small river look out with benches, when Lizzie finally peeped, through their 'pregnant silence', "And you? Still _secretly_ married I hear?" Lizzie finally asked her question that had been playing on her mind ever since she ran into him at the train station, and she wondered where his wedding ring was. David felt like a few bricks fell on him as he was hoping to not talk about Sarah with Lizzie...

"Oh, you know..."

"David, of course I know about that 'elopement'. Archie told me the last time I was home, which was about four months ago. I just never asked you how Sarah is until now. She must hate it when you're away on business."

"I s'pose..." David then added, "Actually Liz, Sarah and I have separated, mutual choice really, considering we were supposed to be newlyweds...we were not getting along-probably will divorce soon. I haven't had the money to get the papers up and going, but she always threatens me with them every spat we have..."

"Oh, that's why there's no ring on your finger..." Lizzie summed it up and David sighed, "Not really, I just don't seem to feel the need to wear the ring."

"That probably didn't go over so well with her did it?"

"Not exactly, but anyway, come I have more to show you..." David held out his arm to Lizzie and she linked arms with him.

"Actually, I'm really beat, and I need to go back to the hotel."

"All right, I can show you tomorrow? You free?"

"I will be for the next few days---trade fair is next week---I have a few meetings with the 'fair big wigs' and a conference calls with my boss—apparently she was big on me 'promoting' the welfare of this new Italian 'wine' for her 'friends at this vineyard'---actually, I think she just wanted to get me away from the office and London for awhile and this was her way of doing it--- anyway, it shouldn't take me too long---I could manage some time for you, Captain Davy." Lizzie joked as her mouth danced into a playful zesty smile.

David chuckled, "Captain Davy? I haven't been that awful have I?" as Lizzie laughed, "No, I just remember calling you it when Jamie and you took Killwillie's boat for a joy ride and both managed to _fall out of the boat in the nick of time_, before it struck the rock jetty at the loch. Killwillie was furious---I had never seen him turn a sherbet of colors, first red, orange, yellow, and then green...he was so blue in the face when he 'assessed' damages. He didn't speak with father for months on end because he kept sticking up for the both of you---saying Killwillie shouldn't have left the boat keys where you could both get at them. Jamie and you both vowed never to become sea captains and felt dismally grim about it all—well, Jamie did," Lizzie then let out a yawn and concluded, "We'll walk back then and you can show me more when we're both free..." Lizzie grinned and David smiled back, "You really are tired, I could actually carry you back..."

David then suggested to his back with a gesture of his hand, "Hop on,"

Lizzie added, "You do know we're not teenagers like we once were, or walking around at 3am on the loch beach...I---?"

"Lizzie, I can carry anything...even you if you let me..." David winked and continued to charm her as Lizzie tilted her head, shrugged, "You sure?"

"Positive and I insist."

Lizzie smiled and did as she was 'told' and David, crouched down a bit as Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck and he latched both hands under her legs as David piggy backed her, the shortest distance back to the hotel.

**Chapter Three---Tuscany Surprise ****J**

A few days passed, Lizzie continued to be focused on her wine PR for the trade fair, which was just days away as she spent more time hanging out with David, everywhere...Lizzie seemed to seek out comfort, and David seemed to provide it. Early one morning, as Lizzie was labeling wine bottles and storing them back into crates and checking her 'To Do' list when she heard, "Room Service" and remembered her breakfast, "Finally," Lizzie muttered and opened the door to find...

"Hungry?"

"That's a country..." Lizzie chuckled as she let David in with the breakfast cart.

"Hmmmm, so it is,"

"How on earth did you talk the---?"

"Placed a very big tip so I could bring this to you," David grinned and spoke right up, "Eat, hurry,"

"What's the rush?" Lizzie asked quickly as she peeked over David's shoulder while he grasped the 'silver' top to her breakfast dish and they both smiled at the fruits, toast, eggs and bacon...

"It's an after breakfast surprise..." David winked as Lizzie added very giddy, "Surprise?"

"Surprise,"

"David, this is really sweet of you...except one minor detail...I didn't order the bacon or the eggs."

"Lizzie, my dear, I know I also have to eat. Dig in...I paid top dollar for this meal you know, you can't let it go to waste..." For the past few days David started learning about what a vegetarian could and couldn't eat as Lizzie was his teacher and a wonderful one at that.

"You're..."

"Eat," David sat down on a crate and Lizzie sat down on the bed with the table between them...Lizzie smiled, "I---?" David then stuck a couple grapes into Lizzie's mouth before she could finish her sentence.

"I'm taking you somewhere special and I require you with a full stomach...so eat the fruit, and the toast..." David instantly answered while Lizzie chewed and swallowed...

"Aye."

After breakfast, David disappeared while Lizzie was in the bathroom getting ready for his 'surprise' outing, she spent a good twenty minutes brushing her hair, applying make-up, as she stared into the mirror, sighed out, "Let's go..."

She opened the bathroom door to find...a newspaper boat with a red rose sticking right out of it at her feet and a note_, "Have other means of travel, instead of a boat, but let's go take a ride with me, my fair maiden, away from the moat."_

Lizzie was floored, David's poem was hideous, but intriguing, of course, and his penmanship all familiar funky lines and scribbles...but the red rose, and the newspaper boat...it bowled her right over—reminding of when they were kids again. She started to dance around the room while raising the rose to her nose...and taking in the sweet scent. Lizzie pulled on her business jacket, put her room key in her pocket and then made way out of her room.

Lizzie strutted down to the lobby as the concierge, smiling, chatted up with her, and handed her, her 'messages'---her another note card, a helmet, and poem, _"Roses are red, the Vespa is red too, put on this helmet and I will too'_ Lizzie laughed again as she strolled outside of the hotel and noticed a bright red Vespa parked in the loading and unloading area and David standing there.

"Ready?"

"Ready Freddie, where did you get this thing?"

"Funny, you can rent them down at the river for not much...thought we'd take a little ride into the country, visit a friend in a small Tuscan villa south of here, as long as you're okay with it?" David charmed her, before placing her helmet on her head and buckling her up and then his...

"Of course, should I be scared?" Lizzie asked quickly while climbing onto the Vespa behind David and he chuckled, "Not like quad riding when we were kids, but these are actually much faster, fun, and less bumpy a ride! Hang on!"

As they took off on the motorbike and journeyed out of the city, driving east, as they came to a dusty lane and traveled along it. Sangiovese, best red wine grape in the whole country, could be seen everywhere as it hung off vines as the fields surrounded them on both sides of the way. Eventually, David shuttled the Vespa down another road, past a sign named _"Classico cantina Vino da Tavola"_ as Lizzie started to put two and two together that they were off to experience a 'Super Tuscan' treat, a vineyard and wine making site.

David drove the motor scooter up to the main entrance way of a large rusty looking brick building with old wood doors, with stone walled and old wine barrels used to house the flower beds. David smiled wide after Lizzie hopped off of the Vespa and pulled off the helmet, completely in awe of the old structure and it's flower-pot thatched roof and chimney with vines growing all along the old structure from top to bottom, the scenery, leafy olive trees in the distance and grassy green knolls and then rolling hills of grapes as far as the eye could see.

"David Fraser..." As man about Archie's height, dark hair and eyes, with a huge grin walked right up to him, shook his hand and gave him a 'manly' hug.

"Charlie Edwards," David hugged his friend back...

"When you said you were coming, I didn't think you were bringing..."

"Charlie, Elizabeth MacDonald and a really old friend of mine..." David winked and Lizzie and Charlie shook hands, "Beautiful place..." Lizzie studied the architecture, there were large evergreens to the side of the establishment which provided little shade for the house and then her eyes wandered down a long stucco hall with pillars holding up the thatched roofs and red flower baskets hanging between the pillars also lined the hallway, creating an outdoor landing to eventually a patio.

"Nice to meet you, yes it is and you're both in luck today as my workers are out in the fields gathering vines, since this harvesting season, every autumn as long as the heat doesn't get to the Sangiovese, then we harvest early, would you like a look at the ." Charlie nodded to them both, "Come this way, out to the back of the house and away from the dusty road. You both must be a little weary Bettina will bring you something cool to drink, I'm sure."

Lizzie glanced at David, who followed closely behind her, and whispered, "Nice?"

"Yes," Lizzie smiled at him.

"I've known David for quite sometime since we were at Oxford together...exactly how old of a friend are you?"

"She's known me since we were oh, 5 or 6, she's Jamie's sister."

"Oh right Jamie, you've mentioned him in passing," Charlie remembered as he gestured to the patio table and for David and Lizzie to sit down. Bettina Charlie's wife, came wandering out, "David, welcome, welcome," as she nodded to Lizzie, hugged David and kissed both cheeks and he laughed, "She's got a bump since I seen her last,"

"Yes, of course she does," Charlie rubbed Bettina's front side with his hand as he grinned, "Seven down and about..."

"Two more months to go?" Lizzie winked and smiled to Bettina who stood behind Charlie as he sat on a patio chair. Bettina laughed and smiled too, "that's right..."

"Been doing a wee bit of reading up on pregnancy, do you know the sex?" Lizzie asked as David watched her pull a strand of her hair behind her ear, and he could tell Lizzie was slightly uncomfortable and not sure of why.

"Not sure, don't want to know, babies are meant to be good surprises, no?"

Lizzie bowed her head and replied, "Yes,"

"Well, I'll get drinks, and you both stay of lunch, yes?" Bettina inquired as David replied for Lizzie and he, "Yes, we are staying, very kind of you to invite us."

"No problem, been a long time, I should show you the grand tour, the wine-making room, the bar area, the gardens, the 'real' way to make wine---the grape stomping vat out behind the cantina and the rest of the place," Charlie boasted, as Bettina nodded her head, smiled, "I'll have lunch ready when you come back..."

Lizzie and David met all sorts of friendly workers along their tour as Charlie added, "It's hard to believe this is all Bettina's, her father passed on a year ago and immediately before he died, the place was signed over to her."

"Wow," Lizzie replied as they walked down stone cracked halls past enormous barrels of wine as Charlie pointed out each barrel contained wines such as merlot, pinot noir, and shiraz---which were hand picked, foot stomped, pressed, corked and bottled years ago. Charlie enjoyed bringing out small wine glasses as he had the pair test each one—there were over hundreds of combinations and finally Lizzie, needed some air as her body started to become slightly buzzed from the wine.

"Air, let's get some air..." Charlie smiled at Lizzie who's cheeks were red and he could tell...he brought David and Lizzie out into the 'grape stomping' area as there were woman workers squishing grapes, "That must be a tiring job."

"Well, the women take moments between and also shifts...this only happens once a year and it was how Bettina's ancestors made the 'real' vino." Charlie laughed, and then suggested to Lizzie, "You can try if you care too."

Lizzie glanced at David very glassy eyed, and then became intoxicated more by the thought, and also giddy, "You're kidding?"

"Nope, you should experience it—it's once in a life time guaranteed, and the women will suit you up,"

David smiled brightly and teased her, "Go for it Lemonade queen...I know you like to make juice," as Charlie started conversing with one of the women who were shin high in juice as she climbed onto a ladder with her dark hair swept back in a floral kerchief and her body dressed in a off shoulder frock with a long skirt that hung at her chins. She had a red sash around her waist as she then latched an arm onto Lizzie and toted her away.

David waved Lizzie on.

"Okay, out with it, where's Sarah? Why didn't you call me as soon as you got into the city? I would have had you stay here," Charlie spoke up to David once Lizzie was off in the changing house.

"Sarah and I separated a while ago, and well,"

"So Elizabeth?"

"Liz is great, classy and comes from a prominent clan..."

"Ah, well, then what's she doing with you?" Charlie questioned with a chuckle as David shrugged and gave a nervous laugh, "I don't know, she reminds me of Jamie, every time I look at her, she shows lots of prospect for me, like I could be---?"

"Okay, you're still married..."

"Of course, but I am divorcing soon. I've know Liz for so long...she's apart of me."

Charlie and David stopped talking when Lizzie returned dressed traditionally, in a long off the shoulder frock with a sash wrapped around her waist before she knew it she had been lead up a ladder, as she made a joke to David, "I heard it through the grapevine, in the---?"

"Italian sunshine?"

Charlie laughed and added the end to the lyric of the 'California Raisins song', "Honey, honey, yeah...Oh I heard it through the grapevine..."

Lizzie was in her element, under the Tuscan sun, with the bottom of the dress gathered up to her thighs as she danced in a circle with the other two women, squish, squish, squish under her feet and in between her toes as they wadded and waddled in the puddle pool of grape juice. More men workers walked over pouring more grapes in and commenting on the blonde, dancing, kicking up her feet, as David view Lizzie going into a trance, very familiar, warm, friendly feeling, remembering watching a barefooted Lizzie groove along the shore of the loch back in Glenbogle when they were adolescents...

Lizzie couldn't stop smiling, every time she smiled, David's heart flip-flopped as Charlie added, "You stare at her beauty like I peer at my wife, why is that?"

"I'm not staring at her."

Charlie scoffed, "Yeah, you are mate."

"She's a childhood friend, mate, just a friend..." David lied to himself and also to Charlie. David found himself longing for Lizzie, regardless if he was still married or not, he craved her in many ways...


	2. Parts 4 and 5

**Chapter Four- Olive Kisses (I love kisses ****J**

At lunch hour, Lizzie kept talking to Bettina all about the magnificent 'grape stomping' and also how wonderful it must be to live in such a glorious region of Italy. As Lizzie helped her serve the lunch dishes, since Bettina and Charlie's cook had the day off, Bettina posed a question, "David is still with Sarah, no?"

Lizzie stopped short as she cast her eyes over to a very concerned Bettina, "Yes,"

"Men have a really odd way of showing affection, especially to their 'estranged' wives, and new mistresses." Lizzie then blinked sensing Bettina was giving her some sort of a warning, thinking she was involved with David, as she laughed, "Oh no, David and I aren't like that at all."

"What are you like?" Bettina pried as Lizzie grinned at the very pregnant woman before her, "David and I have known each other since we were kids, and he's more of a brother to me really."

"Brothers don't look at their sisters the way he gazes at you." Bettina warned again as Lizzie smiled again, and then told a fib of her life, "No worry, um, lunch looks lovely..."

Lizzie started to ponder about Bettina's strange mood, if David really wanted something from her other than a friend, Lizzie forced it out of her mind and worried more about the steak on the plates...Lizzie didn't eat meat and she wasn't going to avoid eating it this time around as she stared at David who winked at her with a fool proof grin. Wolfy, who was Bettina and Charlie's dog, lay watch under the table, in hopes that 'lunch scraps' might fall to the floor.

Bettina with a wide grin, "It's bistecca alla fiorentina, Chianina beef, every indigenous to this region and cooked in a very special way, you must try it," Charlie explained as Lizzie gave off a scared look to David who sat beside her...he reached his hand over to hers and started to rub it, hoping to calm her down...but he didn't tell Charlie that Lizzie was a full fledged vegetarian. Lizzie sat there as she waited for Bettina to sit before they started an afternoon meal with a bottle of Classico Merlot, the vineyard's prize winning wine. Wolfy, continued to lay under table as he sniffed at the meat, finally Bettina called out, "Wolfy scat!" and managed to get the dog out from under the table, before sending it out the patio door near the dinning area of the house.

Minutes passed and Lizzie still hadn't touched the beef...she ate the rice, savored the vegetables, but to her the portion of beef, still mooed to her and she couldn't eat it.

Bettina gave Lizzie a look and smiled, "Trouble?"

David laughed, "Actually, no trouble,"

Bettina stared at Lizzie quite confused... Lizzie trying not to be rude, cut the meat in slices, and every cut made her stomach turn. It was when she brought her fork to stab the meat so she could eat it that made her sicker...

David started coughing, in hopes to keep Lizzie from eating the steak, as he coughed more, Charlie and Bettina became concerned as they both asked at the same time, "You all right?"

David rasped, "Water" as he faked not trying to 'talk' as Lizzie caught right on to what David tried to do for her. Charlie and Bettina rushed out of the room as David added, feeling fine, "Quick, napkin your portion...and I'll find a loo and a flush."

"You can't do that."

"Lizzie, you wanna eat that?"

Lizzie gave in and wrapped up her meat as David snatched it quickly before Bettina and Charlie returned to the table with a water pitcher and tray of glasses, while Charlie quickly poured water into a glass for David and offered it to him.

"Actually, I need a lavvy," David replied as Bettina nodded, "Yes, down the corridor to the right..." David got up with the meat behind his back, shoved it in his pocket when he wasn't facing Charlie or Bettina and ran away.

Bettina looked at Lizzie's plate, amazed, "You devoured it quickly?"

Lizzie replied, now lying completely, "It was delish,"

David returned from the small bath and carrying the napkin back with him in his pocket. David reseated himself beside Lizzie as they both smiled at each other before deciding to add, "Well, we should head back to the city..."

Bettina and Charlie walked the pair towards the front doors and over to the Vespa, Charlie and Bettina's dog, 'Wolfy' was mowing down on something very tasty over in the flowerbed. Lizzie nudged David as he shrugged at her, shook hands with Charlie who responded, "You come back to Italy and ring us."

"I will."

"Nice to meet you Lizzie."

Lizzie nodded her head, hugged Bettina, giving her cheek kisses before putting on the helmet and climbing onto the back of the bike with David. She then asked, "What did you do with the meat?"

"Tossed it out the window..."

"Oh David, let's go-before they notice Wolfy's main course," as David grinned and they waved while driving away at Bettina and Charlie, whom waved back before turning to their home-leaving Wolfy with the prized beef behind some bushes, going unnoticed.

David and Lizzie rode down the long paved street as they were enroute to the city, David noticed a field and drove them through it before stopping, "Why we stopping?"

"Ever had an olive off a tree before?" David asked giving Lizzie the recommendation.

"No, but aren't you due back for work stuff or something?"

"Let's go climb a tree..."

"David, it's 3pm and I got work to do..." Lizzie objected acting motherly while removing her helmet.

"You used to love climbing trees, Lemonade queen," David removed his head gear, avoided her tone smiled and started to climb the branches of the nearest tree

"We were kids, David...oh come on, not brill, Dav?" Lizzie watched David scale the tree, which started to sway in the breeze! Lizzie became worried, but then grumbled when she saw that David shook the tree on purpose to scare her.

"Come down David, it's not safe up there, I don't need any olives," as it started to rain the green balled vegetable down onto Lizzie as she felt the pelts on her head, face and body as she yelled out, "Ouch, ouch, David! That's not funny, they hurt!"

David kept shaking the olive tree while Lizzie tried to walk away. David immediately decided to climb back down, to go after Lizzie, only the last branch his foot set on broke. David shouted out, "WHOA!" as he landed right smack on his back on the ground. Lizzie turned as she ran to his side and knelt down on her knees, "See, I told you not to climb it..."

"I'm all right. It was fun...lemme do it again..." David suggested as Lizzie's nose wrinkled and David scanned her freckled face closely, "No way."

"Yes way."

"No way,"

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes." David and Lizzie started to argue at first and then continued to tease each other bantering back and forth with their faces just inches part, playing a game of 'Yes/No' until David reached right in, cradling her face with both of his hands and planted a firm, gallant and greedy kiss on Lizzie's lips. Lizzie drew right away as she stuttered, "What just happened?"

"Um, I do believe I kissed you which would be actually the second kiss you and I have ever shared."

Lizzie didn't breathe a word, as she remembered David was her first real boy kiss ever. The summer that Jamie died, David consoled Lizzie while sitting on a rock over looking the loch...he kissed her deeply then...and just now, "Ah, um..."

"Lizzie, you okay? Say something?"

Lizzie looked at David, as she was hard to read, the attraction she felt for him crept right in and Lizzie froze moved away silently and roamed back to the motorbike. David just found himself at a loss, realizing he had kissed her intentionally, meaningfully, and because he felt the moment was right then...

Lizzie glanced down at the ground, while standing near the motorbike, "Lizzie, I'm really sorry if that hurt you...I just felt?"

Lizzie's eyes filled with tears, as she was absolutely miserable everyday of her life, and finally something 'great' comes along and he's already with someone else, "You're married, you're attached still, I'm not the other woman..." Lizzie mumbled and David sighed, "It's a technicality, Elizabeth."

"A rather major technicality!"

"Lizzie, do you want to know why I'm not staying married to Sarah?" David spoke up...he didn't say anything to her on the bridge the first night they were in Florence and now he felt he had too. Lizzie peered down at her feet, tried to ignore his stare as David found some courage to lift her chin with his soft hand so she'd look up at him. Their eyes met promptly, longingly with simplicity, as David spoke, "Sarah can't have children. I want children. I can't stay married to a woman that?"

"That's awful, David. That's terrible! You don't want to be married to her because she can't have them! What is that supposed to make me feel better that you kissed me under an olive tree, gee, HALLEJUAH? David! You're?" David just snagged a kiss from her again, their tongues lingered together, their lips stuck like honey, until Lizzie broke free for air as David leaned in to sample her once more...

"We got married six months ago, jumped into it too soon, and never discussed kids...it was daft, but we just assumed each others thoughts as our own on the matter..."

"..." Lizzie turned away again, "I am sorry you married someone who can't have kids. How do you know I'm right for you?"

"Lizzie, what are you talking about? I've known you all my life..."

"David, Gerald and I broke up because I can't seem to get pregnant or stay pregnant! I either miscarry, I've done it twice—David, I swear I'm an expert by now at losing babies_, or I'm not pregnant at all._ That's a catch-22, huh? I'm fertile myrtle, mind you, but it drove a huge wedge between Gerald and I that I tossed him out on his rump two weeks ago...I'm not right for you David if you expecting something from me that I might not be able to deliver!"

"He was the wrong git for you, Lizzie, that's why you had problems...I'm right...I am." David could tell Lizzie was all out of sorts and tried to calm her down by embracing her, "Stop the tears, dry your cheeks, you have such marvelous world exploring eyes...you were breath-taking to me stomping around with purple feet this afternoon."

David tried to get her to laugh about her 'raisin' feet after helping squeeze and squish grapes...Lizzie half smiled, "There's my lass, there's the smile of the century."

"You need to take me back to the hotel," Lizzie stopped showing signs of 'life' and placed the helmet back on her head before David shrugged, "Lizzie,"

"No, David, we're embarking on wrong territory, we are just friends, you're still married and simple as that, so take me back now,"

"I'm getting a divorce Liz," muttered David, which didn't make much of a difference to Lizzie. David then did as he was told and climbed back on the Vespa to drive them back to the city.

**Chapter Five-Um...hiccups and snorts, oh my!**

Days later...

Somewhere in the city of Florence, Lizzie spent the last late afternoon at the trade fair selling the rest of the bottles of wine and thinking about him. She had avoided his calls to her room after their olive tree incident a week ago. She didn't allow him to send breakfast to her room, or for her to accept his newspaper boats with saffron flowers or his origami swans with roses at the doorstep of her room. She wanted to forget everything that happened between them. Lizzie had spent the past years focused on work...she wanted quite a few things, nothing David could give her, not right now anyway...or she thought.

"Thank-you, take a brochure and then make sure you visit...it's a lovely place," Lizzie was wrapping up her latest 'sale' by handing over a bottle of wine to an elderly couple whom smiled to David, as he strolled over to Lizzie's booth. Lizzie tried not to lock eyes with him, but did with her...

"You're a tricky person to seek out, you know, never turned my boats or my swans..." David said evenly with a joke, with his hands shoved into his dress pant pockets.

"I'm selling wine today for..." Lizzie began to chat with a possible customer and didn't speak back to David. The couple left her booth, Lizzie groaned and David spoke up again,

"Lizzie."

"David, I'm busy." Lizzie mocked as she tried to avoid him and talk to another customer...who walked away because David stood in the way of the table, "You're disrupting my customers, oh gee, look at the time, half past that freckle, I need to close my booth..."

"I want to buy a bottle of wine, I'm a customer...where are these grapes from? Are they muscaline, souviegse, non-traditional, maremma, or sacciaia?" David started rattling off types of Italian grapes and Lizzie shot him a 'you little...' look, "Souviegse,"

"Do you get a fruity after taste, a dry taste, spicy taste? How does it cleanse your pallet? _How does one cleanse your pallet, Lizzie?" David glanced behind him at a couple whom both nodded their heads towards him and actually the husband of the pair gave him thumbs up for his business strategizing...David kept going with Lizzie..._

Lizzie stared at him and didn't notice the pair feet away from David. She started to get embarrassed as David, kept speaking to her and asked, _"How to do I get with you, drink this wine, watch you stomp on grapes in traditional sexy dress-that frock was so-your element? How do I show you that my tender feelings for you flow like red wine in this bottle?"_

"It's a deep, rich, stiff taste...worth dinning with bistecca alla fiorentina, Chianina beef—preferably beef you don't toss out of a window because it's rare indigenous and just rude to upset a cook who made it since they slave over wood coals to grill it!" Lizzie glared at David assuming he wanted a row and he'd get one...but he didn't want to have a 'lover's quarrel' he wanted...

"I only tossed beef because I don't like seeing you unhappy Elizabeth, you remind me of being kids, of running through fields barefoot and together. I want...I want what a good bottle of this wine could cure..."

Lizzie's booth became very busy all of the sudden, many couples came over, and some wondering what they were saying to each other, others interested in the wine since they could tell Lizzie and David act like true lovers-many patrons thought the pair had planned the fight as some sort of 'one act play' to lure people in to check out her product and started to clap. David stared at Lizzie one last time before walking away from the table. He then strolled out of the high rise tent and Lizzie's sales boosted completely as her last two crates of wine disappeared within seconds, people wanted wine faster than she could collect the money.

About roughly 45 minutes later, Lizzie had sold out every bottle but one...after doing well with her wine sales, thanks to David's 'display of unruly affection towards her' she left the trade fair tent with her portfolio. Lizzie walked to a train station and then rode a cabin car back to Ponte Vecchio as she traveled over the bridge...

Lizzie fatefully found David sitting on a bench looking out at the water the same spot where they were the first night they arrived in Florence. At first, she questioned if it was him, but she knew from the style of his burnt blonde haircut, same green jumper and the dress slacks and his Boston loafers strapped to his feet.

"David?" Lizzie said as she quietly joined him on the bench. His head hung down, and then it went up, not to glance at her, but to gaze out at the river, "You know how cathedrals, especially, 'The Duomo' that you showed me, usually mean spiritual love?"

"Never mind what I said Lizzie, you were right." David stood up from the bench and Lizzie stared at him, now confused, "About what exactly?"

"We're clearly not meant for one or another, because if we were, I would have married you instead of Sarah secretly six months ago."

"How do you mean?"

"I spent lots of sleepless nights wondering how you turned out...what you were doing with your life and Archie- blasted Archie wouldn't tell me anything I wanted to hear—you know all of this...I wanted to hear your voice."

"You're listening to it now aren't you?" Lizzie rolled her eyes and blinked while David turned to face her and sat himself down again on the bench.

"I am listening...I was lonely, really down and out low after Sarah and I called it quits...I kissed you days ago because I felt comfortable being with you-you remind me of something I've been missing for a really long time. I'm sorry I forced everything with you...I don't mean to do it."

"Well, I know the lonely part, I mean I get it really, I didn't want to focus my so-called life on just my career, and I still don't. I assumed if I got pregnant, became a masseuse, I could work out of my own home or work set hours around a baby. Father says, why can't you be normal and marry—then have the baby? I simply can't fathom marriage without some form of true spiritual love and a baby is just that."

"True, but you'd have to adjust those eating habits if you do get pregnant ever and have a baby..."

"How do you mean?"

"You need to chow down on meat, Lizzie, you need to stomach it...you need to focus that your body isn't _yours_ for all of those Bairn 'incubation' months."

"How do you know?"

"I read too, Lizzie."

"Oh." Lizzie paused, and David glanced at her with his lips going into a smile.

"You're going to make a wonderful mother, Lizzie."

Lizzie found herself getting all teary eyed again, "That's if I'm allowed to be one..."

"You are. Every bit of me agrees with it," David grinned as Lizzie sighed and David reeled her into him, "You'd really work with a baby?"

"David I have to support myself somehow..."

"What about the father? His input is needed financially too...my mother never worked a day in her life, very much like your mother. My father said, son you work, you provide for the family and your wife remains in the home..."

Lizzie rolled her eyes and wiped her face, ready to slap David upside the head. Instead she gave him a wise once over as he kept her close to him with his arm still over her shoulder, "You're actually believe that mumbo jumbo? My father gets that way...if you do believe it than you're worse off than I thought."

Lizzie then turned to the box beside her and placed her hand on the bottle of wine as she set it on David's lap, "Here let's go drown some 'sorrows or celebrate me selling the rest of those crates because of you."

David chuckled, "You're not going to lure me into your room and then toss my boats and swans out of the window..."

"No,"

"You kept them?"

"I kept them..." David stood up from the bench held out his hand to Lizzie but instead she placed her box from her booth in his hands. They both shared a laugh as she snagged the wine bottle, snatched up her portfolio and then they journeyed down the bridge to the hotel.

When they arrived back at Lizzie's room, she let David come in...

"I'm getting comfortable since I have no plans to leave this room until I catch that train home...how did you work go?"

"Okay, I'm actually heading back on Monday since I have some loose ends..."

"Loose ends?"

"The wine you sold at the trade fair belongs to the 'company' a very nice couple, last name, Fibbochi, and their vineyard is..."

"You're kidding?"

"No, I've been advising, marketing, and working with aside from what you've been doing, so you my dear did a smashing job helping me keep that account! And my job since my 'employees' were there today and wanted to be sure you sold out..." David winked, as Lizzie blinked, "Wait a minute, is that why you hung out after the fair?"

"Well...sort of. I mean you were a bore when selling that stuff, and I had to liven it up somehow..."

"DAVID!" Lizzie thumped his shoulder with her hand and became cross, "I thought all of this time you stayed because of my dodging you...You didn't mean any of it at all? It was just an act? You're not interested in me at all? You planned to?"

"Now, Lizzie, what I said at the bridge...oh hush up lemonade queen...give me your tongue..." David rushed in for a kiss and tackled Lizzie down to the bed as they rolled off of it onto the floor in a heap, laughing between kisses...and Lizzie bolted up right...

"No, this isn't a good idea..." Lizzie stood up and David groaned, "Lizzie, not again...come on..."

"David, you're still connected to someone!"

"Legally bound but not by spiritual heart _and I am getting a divorce!"_

"Don't."

"Lizzie..."

"Okay, lets do it this way...let's celebrate like adults." David announced as he found a corkscrew, opened the wine, and poured out the strong fluid and then handed Lizzie a drink.

"You know you want to drink this with me..." David hinted and Lizzie mumbled, "You just want to?"

"No I don't want to do _that_...I want to drink this with you. We do have a need to celebrate."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, and David gestured at the glass, "Eh, no, toast..."

"Okay for what?" Lizzie asked as David smiled brightly, "futures...one I hope we share together, more often, aside from phone calls and that we see each other in person."

"David, that's suggestive!" Lizzie's eyes grew wide at the thought of something more happening between her and him.

"Lizzie, you're still my best friend, you know."

"Jamie was your best friend...you tormented me and also you always picked on Archie...every game you three played, he lost..."

"Wah, wah, poor Archie...hmmm would you name your baby Archie? Besides I tormented you because I fancied you!" David changed the subject again and Lizzie glared at him...

"You..."

David's toothy grin flashed, "Me what?'"

"Don't go there..."

"I didn't go there, you did." David started twisting Lizzie's words around...and being more flirty than subtle with her.

Twenty minutes later, after Lizzie in a tee shirt and sweats, David in a dress shirt and pants, actually laid together with their heads at the foot end of the bed and focused on the TV-Lizzie kept asking David what the news caster was saying or what the movie was about. Since everything was Italian to he'd answer her as they'd flip through TV channels and drink the wine down. The time together took a really cozy turn when Lizzie giggled and snorted, as she had managed to drink quite a bit of one glass of wine...David had finished his and was working on glass two...he poured more into Lizzie's glass...

David eyed her all over, "You just snorted..."

"I did not."

"You did so..."

"No, David I didn't!" Lizzie giggled and snorted again...David yelled, "A-hah!"

Lizzie started tapping his arm trying to make it difficult for him to pour the wine as they both gleamed at each other. Lizzie continued to drink her glass down and placed it on a nearby table... "Your glass is half empty, you need more..."

"No, it's half full...I'm fine really...you better slow down...you're on glass three..."

"You're on two..."

"David, don't make me drink you under the..." Lizzie hiccupped then a sign she wasn't clearly with it...

"Bed? TV? Bathroom...let's go take a bath shall we? Perhaps we'll fall asleep in it!" David swayed, slightly buzzed, but not unable to function-for David was one who could hold his liquor.

Lizzie sat right up, placed her hands on her hips and snapped, "You, we, no bath..."

Moments, upon moments later, after Lizzie had finished glass two, "Fine, I reckon we need a deck of cards..." David challenged seductively as Lizzie shook her head in protest.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Lizzie felt like her head floated above clouds...if she were dancing in thin air...

"What?"

"Ask me to play cards...I'm?" Lizzie hiccupped again as David laughed, "You have the hiccups! HIC!" David started to hiccup too and Lizzie chanted, "See no, hiccup evil, hear no, hiccup evil, speak no, hiccup evil!" David cracked a joke with a hiccup, "So if you're a card shark m'lady...can I be swimming in your ocean or will you hurt me?" David set his glass down on the bedside table...

"I'm hoping you'd be more and hurting you isn't what I have in mind..." Lizzie was officially gone and she chuckled charmingly, David lustfully smiled at her, before they tittered at first and then leaned in to kiss, slowly, divinely and delicately without any interruptions...

The next morning...

Lizzie had her head buried in a pillow, as she couldn't even think straight. Her poor defenseless head pounded with the tune of the clock radio nearby. She reached out to turn it off and then heard humming from the water closet...she sat up, only to notice, she had a just a sheet wrapped around her body, "Oh no..."

Lizzie tried to breathe as she figured out she wasn't alone...she last remembered joking with David on the bed while watching TV...which had been turned off and her clothes were draped everywhere. Lizzie bolted out of bed as she tripped over one of David's Boston loafers, she then noted two curious socking feet in front of her, and stared upwards, "Oh, hi..."

"Hi." David grinned, peering down at Lizzie.

Lizzie inhaled and exhaled as David helped her up, "You missed your train."

"I didn't!" Lizzie couldn't believe she had over slept...

"You did, but there's another one this afternoon...I'm sorry, you simply said, "'No Mummy, I don't have to get up today...' I took it as you needed the rest..."

"What did we do?" Lizzie glanced at him really worried, creating a 'toga' out of the sheet, the only thing missing to complete her 'Roman' outfit was the olive leaved crown, the gold shoulder buckles to hold it up, the sash and weaved leather strapped sandals.

"Don't panic, Elizabeth. You were incredibly sweet and what happened is between us now...I'm not one for kissing and telling any of it..."

"We..."

David nodded, before parking himself on the bed and Lizzie blew out a breath...

"You don't remember it?" David now being cocky smiled again.

"David, I remember parts of it...I just thought it was all dream."

"Well then quite the way to wake up, huh? Listen..." David turned towards her dressed up in his dress shirt and pants again, "We did quite a few extraordinary things yes, but I'd like to continue being with you...I'm kinda happy you missed your train because we can spend more time together if you like..."

Lizzie's eyes became tearful when she asked immediately, "Were we careful..."

David smiled, "I'd like to lie and say yes, but you were insistent on not being careful since you want a baby very badly..."

"Oh my and you let me talk you out of it!" Lizzie panicked as she cradled her head in her hands as she leaned forward as she had wound herself up like a top.

"I'm sure we didn't, you know...create anything...if we did, well, we'll go through it together, perhaps, _as long as you want me around?_ Hey, don't cry, Liz..." David rubbed her back and assured her things were okay. "Let's have breakfast and go do a few sightseeing things. If you want me to send you off on the train this afternoon, I will. I want to see you again at home, you know..."

"David, you're?"

"Lizzie, calm down, you need a blood sugar boost...just lie down and I'll tuck you in."

"You promise you won't go anywhere?" Lizzie sat up, but head did another drum roll, and she went to lie back down. David, being more charming than ever, cast his eyes down upon her with a zesty smile.

"Just going to order breakfast and run back to my room to get my clothes," David placed a lip peck on her forehead, pulled up the blankets, and kissed her again.


	3. Parts 6 and 7

**Chapter Six ---Flying Fish---Winter-Summer 2000 (There's a little ditty in _bold italic print_ from Episode 7, Series 2 that I didn't write but I'm branching from****J**

__

Days turned to weeks and thenmonths as Lizzie and David continued to meet up every other day. They go out for either dinner, a movie, or stay in at nights and just continued to be with each other. David had picked the restaurant tonight since Lizzie told him it had to be special for what she finally could fess up and say. And to Lizzie's surprise, he chose Flying Fish which still by technicality Archie and Justine's food venue. Lizzie walked into the restaurant, feeling slightly queasy and nervous at her grand news...she wondered how David would take it.

It had been eighteen weeks on the dot since Lizzie and David were both in Florence. Lizzie was a simply overjoyed after being at the doctors today and hearing the wee heart beat on the monitor as everything looked and felt normal baby wise. Lizzie knew she was expecting weeks upon weeks ago, and for every week she knew about the baby, she made herself take a home pregnancy test to be sure she was still pregnant and she was.

However, Lizzie didn't dare go to the doctors at first for fear she'd miscarry again or get her hopes all up and there be no baby. She wanted to be free and clear and past the first trimester before she'd share the news with David or any of her family. Since she was now gaining weight and started to show a slight rounded baby belly, she kept a strict eye on what she ate. As much as she hates meat, she stuck it out with chicken and pork—which shocked David the first time he caught her ordering meat on one of their 'dinners out' but Lizzie just eluded to being hungry and vegetables wouldn't cut it. Also Lizzie managed to keep her secret from David every time they got together at night and he'd ask if they should be 'careful' and Lizzie would just tell him not to worry about it.

Lizzie entered the restaurant as the place hadn't changed...she remembered how Archie had it set up...fish tank in the far corner, which was no longer there thanks to Justine and her current cook and soon restaurant partner Lenny. Archie was in the middle of signing his half of the eatery over to Justine after their recent break-up. The restaurant still looked the same to Lizzie. There were still diamond shaped, colorful clothed tables with four chairs around each end, as each chair had a big bow on the back of it...the colors, blue, orange and yellow, really brightened the place and it's white walls. There was a small bar off to the side, steps that lead up to an over looking office space, and the hostess podium, which Justine stood dressed distinguished behind it. Justine placed the black cordless phone down on the counter as her eyes met with Lizzie's.

"Lizzie, what brings you my way?" Justine gave her a smile and decided to give her a hug as Lizzie hugged back---even though Archie and Justine had part ways a couple weeks ago.

"Justine, grand to see you, I'm actually meeting someone..."

"Is it a reservation?" Justine asked quickly as she thumbed through her book and Lizzie smiled warmly, "David, name should be David or..."

Justine nodded, "Yes, there it is, I found him, and I'll show you to your table."

"How are you?" Lizzie asked quietly as Justine forced a smile, "I've been rather well, considering Archie hasn't signed over the restaurant just yet...I'm still waiting."

"I'm sorry to hear about it all."

"That's very kind of you to say." Justine grinned again as she always liked Lizzie and all of Archie's family, while she was with him.

"Justine, I meant it." Lizzie smiled and then David wandered right in with his briefcase as his lips skimmed Lizzie's, "I'm so sorry I'm late, Elizabeth."

Justine stood there with menus in her hands and watched David sit himself down and focus his attention from Lizzie to Justine, "Why hello."

"Justine this is David Fraser," Lizzie introduced them both and said, "You picked Archie and Justine's place, mind you?"

"Well, you said special and so I choose a 'family' business." David had no idea what had transpired between Archie and Justine just weeks ago as Justine shifted her weight on her feet and her grin turned into a blank stare.

"Archie and Justine separated ways, David." Lizzie spoke right up in correction.

"Oh right, I'm very sorry. I haven't talked to Archie in months since he's been so busy with the castle in the highlands..."

"You're the friend David that Archie would mention, in passing? Jamie's best friend?" Justine vaguely remembered Archie saying who his best man would be if they as in Justine and Archie were to marry...even though now it was out of the question.

"Yes, that's right, but my life's been a wee bit frenzied for visits and then when it slowed down, Archie was off to Glenbogle. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you until now."

"No worry, I had been up there for six months just about...anyway, things don't always go as you plan, enjoy your dinner." Justine placed the menus down and Lizzie could tell Justine was still a wee bit emotional over the disastrous break-up from her little brother.

"What did I say?" David questioned as Lizzie added and tried to change the conversation, "Nothing to worry about, anyway..."

"Are you all right?" Lizzie pried as David sighed, "Just work, everything with work I didn't mean to keep you waiting so long, Lizzie."

"It's okay, I wasn't here for more than five minutes when you showed, you know..."

Minutes later after Lizzie and David ordered dinners and drinks...Lizzie refused alcohol like she had been for the past few months. She then reached out and placed a hand on David's before asking, "Do I seem a little different to you?"

David laughed, "How do I answer that question without you clobbering me?"

"I promise not too..." Lizzie's face became seriously concerned and David could tell something was up.

"You have been acting quite different, you don't drink, you don't skip meals, you eat meat, which for a vegan you normally wouldn't do so...you're---?"

"I'm pregnant David." Lizzie spoke right up.

"I was wondering _when_ you were going to finally confess to me," David sighed with relief that the cat was out of the bag.

Lizzie glanced at him puzzled, "How you mean when?"

"Liz, you've been testing your pregnancy every Monday at 5am sharp and hiding the positive tests in the 'Betty the cow' biscuit jar from me. I went to steal a biscuit on my way off to work weeks ago like I normally do and stole a neat wrapped _positive_ test stick instead! Lizzie love, why do you think I pushed to stay with you on Sunday nights—because I wanted to be sure too? You went through um let's see here, 16 pregnancy tests, not quite five boxes..."

"Oh, you've..."

David gazed at her friendly and quite sincere, "It was the night in Florence wasn't it?"

Lizzie gave a dignified 'yes it was' nod of her head.

"See I told you, we've always been meant to be." David chuckled and Lizzie started to disagree, "You said no such thing..."

"I did too...you were the one who disagreed with me and it was sitting on Ponte Vecchio when I first said something."

"No, it was under an olive tree when you said it..." Lizzie snickered and then replied, "David..."

"Lizzie pet..." David grinned, knowing she wasn't aggravated with him, just trying to set facts straight of when they both agreed they were 'soul mates.'

Lizzie laughed lively...

"So judging by the tests, you're what four months along? Second trimester?"

Lizzie nodded her head with a huge 'yes' and explained, "I found out two weeks in, I'm actually 18 weeks along...not quite five..."

"Good, what does the doctor say?" David winked and Lizzie blinked amazed, "You knew, mind reader?"

"Liz, of course I knew, I started checking your day planner—don't get upset about it—I wanted to know when you were going to the doctors for check-ups. I was also waiting for you to say something to me. So I could eventually beg you to take me with you the next time you visit the doctor..."

Lizzie started giggling, "I can't believe I'm hearing this from you of all people,"

"Well, start believing it. Here comes that cake..."

"What cake?" Lizzie turned her head and saw Justine roaming over with a three candle lit cake as she placed it down in front of Lizzie.

"Congrats, you went to the loo and David..." Justine started to explain what the cake was about and her patrons looked over to Lizzie and David's table. Lizzie became very embarrassed and actually blushed...

"Got me a cake? It's not my birthday..." Lizzie laughed and David smiled, "No, but it's the birth of our baby team."

_Friday I'm In Love  
The Cure_

I don't care if Monday's blue  
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too  
Thursday I don't care about you  
it's Friday I'm in love

Monday you can fall apart  
Tuesday Wednesday break my heart  
Thursday doesn't even start  
it's Friday I'm in love

Saturday wait  
and Sunday always comes too late  
but Friday never hesitate...

I don't care if Monday's black  
Tuesday Wednesday heart attack  
Thursday never looking back  
it's Friday I'm in love

Monday you can hold your head  
Tuesday Wednesday stay in bed  
or Thursday watch the walls instead  
it's Friday I'm in love

Saturday wait  
and Sunday always comes too late  
but Friday never hesitate...

dressed up to the eyes  
it's a wonderful surprise  
to see your shoes and your spirits rise  
throwing out your frown  
and just smiling at the sound  
and as sleek as a shriek  
spinning round and round  
always take a big bite  
it's such a gorgeous sight  
to see you in the middle of the night  
you can never get enough  
enough of this stuff  
it's Friday  
I'm in love

About four more months passed, Lizzie and David continued to watch, study, and listen to the baby and for once in Lizzie's life she was content, happy and not lonely. However, David was slowly becoming restless, tired and unsure about everything, but still smiled grandly at Lizzie like nothing was wrong. He tried not to express his innermost concerns though because he didn't want to hurt Lizzie or the baby and he had promised he'd see Lizzie through it all. His fears and doubts about what would happen after the pregnancy were always weighing heavy on his mind since David was still married to Sarah. On a Friday night, at Flying Fish, David had planned a get together of Lizzie's and David's business colleagues or for Lizzie a very special baby shower.

Lizzie knew nothing about the shower and after David's coercing for her to go to the restaurant. She made a point to bring in the latest ultrasound photos of the baby to show Justine and Lenny as she sat at the same table the night Lizzie told David she was really pregnant. Lizzie had no idea that her friends and David's were hiding in the kitchen with blue, white and pink balloons, baby presents, gift bags and cards, food, drinks and lots of friendly banter. Until minutes later, when they all made a 'baby' parade out of the kitchen and Justine tapped Lizzie, "Take a gander..."

Lizzie's face lit right up as she giddily exclaimed and tossed her arms around David, "You, you did all of this!"

"Yes, I did, lemonade queen..." David hugged her too as friends greeted the pair and Justine and Lenny the catering cook, smiled too... Lizzie then noticed the huge banner on the wall where Archie's fish tank used to be saying, "Welcome Baby!"

Lizzie laughed, "That's for us too?"

David laughed, "I spent late nights this week painting those letters, you know..."

As the evening moved right along, eight months expecting Lizzie opened gifts, ate food, talked with her friends and David's who seemed to spend more time hanging out at the bar...

Lizzie glanced in David's direction as he waved at her and then he traveled to her side...

"Did you see these?" Lizzie held up to small yellow in color baby booties and David chuckled, "Ah, yes, but they won't fit me..."

As David decided to embrace a sitting down Lizzie, his eyes wandered out of the restaurant's street facing window and then he caught a redhead, green-eyed, freckled faced woman, wearing a black dress coat, white top and pale green pants. She was a familiar sight for his eyes...it was Sarah and she wasn't happy as their eyes met...

David kissed Lizzie's brow and replied, "Be right back," as he wandered out of the restaurant, Lizzie at first nodded, 'aye' but after placing the booties back into a gift bag, her eyes wandered out of the window as well...David and the woman started conversing and Lizzie watched the whole thing...

"I heard all about it David. You didn't think you couldn't invite Rory without Marsha telling me. You got this thing in there pregnant—that's her isn't it? What were you thinking? I thought we were trying to sort us out!" Sarah scolded David and looked into the window to try to spot Lizzie. They had just started talking again just weeks ago when Sarah showed up at his work with divorce papers. He said nothing about Lizzie or the baby to Sarah... "You spent all of those nights with me and told me you wanted to work stuff out and then I heard this crockery!"

"Sarah, I didn't want to tell you about Lizzie or the baby, I didn't know how."

!--if !supportLineBreakNewLine--  
!--endif-- 

"Who is this Lizzie, David? I want to meet her..." Sarah walked towards the restaurant, hoping to give Lizzie a huge piece of her mind. David latched a hand onto her arm and said, "She doesn't know anything, doesn't know I've been trying to work stuff out with you. I cannot have you upsetting her."

"I'm your wife David did you forget that little swindle of a fact!"

"Yes, you are, Sarah..."

"You've been lying to her too? Every time you say you're working late, you're with her...and I bet you tell her you're working late and then you're with me? That's your game isn't, David? You disgust me. You will be hearing from my lawyer!" Sarah tried to storm off, but David got in front of her again.

"Calm down, I haven't told her yet..."

"Told her what exactly, David?"

"I want you, Sarah, just you."

"You should have thought carefully about that, David..."

"Sarah, I need time to tell her, I should wait until the baby arrives—it's a few weeks away..."

"I can't..."

David carted her over to the sidewalk, away from the restaurant window, but didn't get affectionate with her, "Just give me time to sort it out. I love you and don't call lawyers into this again, please?" Sarah stood there, not sure of what to do, and stated, "All right, but I have to go," as she walked away, still debating about ruining Lizzie's baby shower, but didn't.

Lizzie witnessed something going on with David and the redhead outside and then noted they disappeared just minutes before the restaurant door opened again and David stepped back inside.

"Everything all right?" Lizzie greet him at the door, but David with a fake toothy smile, planted another kiss to Lizzie's brow, placed an arm around her shoulder and announced to the group, "Fine, fine, cake time!" David then let go of Lizzie and tried to gather everyone around to cut the baby shower cake...Lizzie stood there unconvinced, but didn't have time to question David further because Justine then shooed her over towards the table, grinning too.

Why'd you tell me this?

Were you looking for my reaction?

What do you need to know?

Don't you know I'll always be your girl?

You don't have to prove to me you're beautiful to strangers

I've got loving eyes of my own

You belong to me

Tell her you were fooling

You don't even know her

Tell her that I love you

You belong to me

Can it be, honey, that you're not sure

You belong to me

Thought we'd closed the book - locked the door

You don't have to prove to me that you're beautiful to strangers

I've got loving eyes of my own

And I can tell - I can tell darling

Tell her - tell her that I love you

You belong - you belong - you belong to me

Tell her you were fooling

Tell her she don't even know you

Tell her you were fooling

I know you from a long time ago, baby

Don't leave me to go to her now

You belong to me.

Carly Simon, Michael MacDonald and James Taylor (1978)

Very pregnant Lizzie sat at 'their' table in the middle of the busiest day of the week for Flying Fish as she waited for David to arrive—she was surprised when he suggested lunch and left her work early. Lizzie had two weeks to go before she'd give birth to their child. Justine brought her a lemonade and David, who would show up soon, one too.

"Thanks," Lizzie nodded her head to Justine who sat down at the table with her.

Justine then asked slightly worried when Lizzie let out a large yawn, "Are you all right?"

"I just tired. Haven't been sleeping well, baby keeps me up all night and David, well, he's been working more and sleeping less at my flat, says the baby kicking and moving the bed is keeping him up all night long." Lizzie didn't worry, but Justine, after what she had gone through with Archie...started to wonder about how well things were going between Lizzie and David.

"I take things are well with you both?" Justine posed her question as Lizzie added with a nod to her head, "Yes, he's just really busy that's all..."

David then came in, without his brief case, dressed in causal clothing, a jacket that Lizzie had never seen on him before and a very harried expression on his face. He didn't kiss Lizzie as Justine got up from the table noted, "I'll let you to chat, and lemme know when you're ready to order, okay?"

"Thanks." David said, but Lizzie sensed tension between them, especially when David didn't kiss her...

"I'm sorry, I'm late." David avoided looking directly at Lizzie, fiddled with his napkin as he then took a quick sip of his lemonade.

"I finally got around to telling my mother about the baby."

"Oh and how is Molly?" David asked causally, but he wasn't fooling Lizzie as she knew something was wrong...

"Mad that I kept her grandchild a secret for nine months, and she wants to immediately come down for the birth as long as it's alright for you. Father, Mummy, and Archie don't know you're the father, David. They don't know much about it with us..."

"No worry, works, um, Lizzie..."

Lizzie was about to wave at Justine to come over with the menus and David stumbled on his thoughts, his fears, his doubts from a month ago and then his words, "Maybe you should wait a minute."

Lizzie stopped trying to wave Justine over to the table, "Why?"

"Lizzie, I'm really sorry to tell you this..."

Lizzie's face completely dropped and which was up in the air to wave at Justine, dropped too...she gazed at David as she finally noticed how dreadful he looked, bags under his eyes, paled face, and unshaven, which was totally not like David...Lizzie's eyes wandered about the restaurant, one table of teenage girls drinking sodas and chatting, another table an old couple drinking coffee, and then men over at the bar, joking with Lenny and Justine...Lizzie narrowed her eyes in at David, "You didn't ask me to have lunch, did you?"

David paused, about to say something and Lizzie spoke up, "You invited me to a crowded restaurant to break us up, didn't you, so I wouldn't make a scene?"

David couldn't say yes or no, Lizzie glared at him, and then he unevenly replied, "I'm not divorcing Sarah, Lizzie, I'm actually going back to her. I've been with her for the past six weeks sorting stuff out and on some nights of the week too...look, I'm just not---?"

Lizzie felt her face staring to get warm, but she didn't cry, she just sat there stunned and then added, "Weeks and weeks when we were last here, at my baby shower, you were talking to---?"

"Oh, you saw that whole thing didn't you? It was Sarah, she found out about the whole gathering, wanted to meet you, and actually upset you..."

"I don't believe this—all along I really was the other woman, after you lied to me over and over again that you were signing papers?" Lizzie noted how cold David had become at that moment with no emotion in his face, everything he felt for her was buried, finally stated bluntly, "Leave."

David sat there, slightly taken back, "Don't you want to talk about this? I mean, you're---?"

"Go, go back to her David and sort your things out. I hope you're very happy, two weeks away from having 'our' baby and---?"

"Lizzie..." David said quietly as Lizzie gave him a 'Go now or I will cause a scene' look...David stood up from the table, did as he was told and then walked out of the restaurant, leaving a 9 month and two weeks along Lizzie, sitting at the table...

Justine approached her with menus when she watched David leave, "Lunch menus, where he is going?"

Lizzie's face clouded right up, as she dazed into space, and then turned to look up at Justine.

"Are you all right?"

"No, infact, I'm not all right. I'll pay for these, Justine, I should go..."

"What did he just say to you?"

"That he's no longer with me."

Justine sat down again at the table beside Lizzie, "He didn't?"

"He did. Justine, I'll just pay now."

"Lizzie don't worry about paying, it's on me...what's going on?" Justine asked Lizzie again, who was now holding back tears as Justine placed a hand on Lizzie's.

"David is married still, he's always been married, I thought this would work out—but I've been living in a dream and time to face the reality."

"Lizzie, I had no idea David was married, Archie didn't really talk about him that much to me."

!--if !supportLineBreakNewLine--  
!--endif-- 

"I haven't been home since I went with Gerald and his friends, that was a year ago, and Archie told me then that David had secretly married. I haven't been home as much as I wanted to go, because of the baby and everyone at home not knowing, unlike now. Please if you do talk to Archie, don't say anything about David being the baby's father. I need to tell them myself, Justine." Lizzie witnessed Justine's nod of 'yes' and then continued, "David told me he separated from his wife over nine months ago---that he had married the 'wrong' person bologna. I was foolish to think---?" as Lizzie started to dwell and fret, which made her start to get teary eyed—Justine stepped in again...

"Lizzie, listen to me, you're giving the gift of life really soon and you need to relax or you're going to throw yourself into labor sooner than you should...if you need anything, ask me. I won't say anything to Archie as we're not on speaking terms, all right? But please just take it easy and don't hesitate to phone me..." Justine became very understanding of Lizzie and smiled at her.

"Thanks Justine. I don't know what I need, but I should go home," Lizzie stood herself up from the table, as she put on her jacket over her dress and Justine watched a sad Lizzie waddle out of the restaurant.

Lizzie's heavily pregnant body couldn't make up its mind if it wanted the baby to come hours ago, or hours later. Her body went through contractions after contractions and then nothing just as Lizzie had arrived home. Lizzie had talked to Molly weeks ago about coming down to London for the birth. However she couldn't take it anymore, being alone, now extremely homesick, and pregnant without her family, so instead hopped on a train, boarded Sean's taxi cab in Glasgow and headed for the familiar hearth.

Just twenty minutes after Lizzie's arrival, Molly, Sean, and Lexie had led Lizzie up stairs to her old room. Once the mother and daughter were left alone, Molly began to ask questions about Martha's father. Lizzie had taken it upon herself to tell Molly she was with her baby's father named 'Donald.' Now though, Lizzie just wanted to fess up to everything...

Molly stood nearby Lizzie as she inquired, **_"Will Donald _****_be_****_ joining us?"_**

****

**_"It's David."_**

****

**_"Ah, of course,"_** Molly could sense there was more to the story as she waited for Lizzie to say something and she did...

**_"No, he won't," _**as Lizzie sadly shook her head and then concludes, **_"It's a long story really."_**

****

**_"I rather thought it might be." _** Molly replied as she nodded her head and then started to walk towards Lizzie and then helped her sit down on a white sheet covered chair before adding, **_"Why don't you tell me and I can prime your father?"_** Molly then sat herself down on a stool as Lizzie gave out a long sigh.

"Mummy, I have to tell you, I don't know where to start really," Lizzie rubbed her front side and Molly looked at her daughter quite sympathetically, "Right, try the beginning, darling,"

"Mummy, I met David again at a trade fair in Italy," Lizzie slowly started to explain and Molly placed a hand in hers as she could tell Lizzie was slightly upset.

"Italy? Sounds wonderful darling, what's the catch?"

"There's a few catches, Mummy, David's married and he's David, Jamie's best friend."

Molly's eyes lit up, "Really? David Fraser? I haven't heard that name so long, Lizzie that's wonderful news..."

"It's not really," Lizzie's face dropped and Molly's excitement subsided and she made a ghastly, shocked, and then gloomy face, "What's wrong? Oh deary me, I remember now, Archie said David was..."

Lizzie's face became full of emotions and Molly put two and two together before kneeling before her daughter and trying to console her, "Ah, Lizzie, darling, it'll be all right, you're here now, no need to cry."

"Mummy, what do I tell father? He'll overreact at this news, you know?"

"Leave it to me, sweetheart, just rest...any more contractions?" Molly tried to change the subject and Lizzie sighed again, "They are still on break, I guess."

"That dear girl! Oh, she's no daughter of mine! Married man? Trade fair in France? What was she thinking!" Hector snapped out and Molly tried to calm him down, "The last thing I need is my irresponsible daughter to spawn a half dimwitted Frenchie! The nerve of her to infect our family with..."

"Hector, please!" Molly begged as Hector flumed, "I, we, you raised her! I thought she'd do better than this absurdity!"

"Hector, calm down!" Molly watched Hector pace her bedroom that night after the awful turn that Fergal's send-away dinner took when Hector started questioning Lizzie about his 'possible son in law' and where he was for the impending birth of the baby...

"All I wanna know is who he is! Because then I'll board the nearest war fighter jet and drop an even bigger bomb than the one our errant daughter just dropped on us!"

"Hector..." Molly began as Hector went off on a tangent again, as Molly kept saying the baby's father's name, "I told you we'd talk about it later and the baby's father is David---?"

"We should speak of it now!"

"I just told you, David Fraser is---?"

"I have no time for games, Molly, David Fraser isn't French! He's Scottish..." Hector's face plummeted when he realized his wife was trying to tell him who Lizzie's baby's father was, _"Oh dear god! __That boy?"_

"Lizzie was afraid you'd judge her and she was right. David Fraser is the baby's father...they met at a trade fair in Italy, not France. He's married...he went back to his wife weeks ago, leaving Lizzie." Molly waited for Hector to reply, sitting her self on her bed.

"Oh no, oh come on," Hector groaned and then parked himself on a chair.

"Hector, Lizzie's really broken up about it. You know, David as he was Jamie's best friend..."

"I once liked that boy, but why do what he did to Lizzie?"

"It's not just David's fault, Hector as much as it's our daughter's but the point isn't to place blame. Lizzie's ready to give birth to our first grandchild, maybe an heir, if Archie doesn't have a boy..."

"I loved that boy like a son, why would he do my daughter wrong?" Hector's face saddened at the thought of David 'betraying' Lizzie and the family's good name by getting her knocked up and then running away.

"I don't know Hector, but please, Archie doesn't know and Lizzie really didn't want to get into specifics with either of you. She only confided in me because I'm her mother."

"Why lie about France?"

"Lizzie doesn't want everyone to blacken hers or David's name so we came up with a story together to tell you and Archie in case you both started to question the baby's father's whereabouts. I think she just wants to move on..."

Hector grumbled again, as Molly tried to smooth things over, looking at the bright side by saying, "At least she's done something right, by giving us a full Scottish heir...Hector, Lizzie means well, you just need to bond with her..."

"I'm not bonding with my daughter while she's like this!"

"Hector please..."

"I'm very disappointed in her, Molly, and its typical woman speak for you to side with our bairns! I'm going to my room and I shall not be disturbed or emerge until the break of dawn!"

"Hector just don't say anything to anyone about it!"

"What is there to say! I'm going to my throne!" Hector grumbled and muttered, "Curses!" While stomping out of Molly's bedroom down the hall, through two doors and then to his room as the door slammed shut behind him.

**Chapter Seven...Summer 2003**

Martha Elizabeth MacDonald turned three one sunny late summer afternoon and Lizzie held a small part for her at Flying Fish at Justine and Lenny's request. Lizzie beamed at Justine when she saw the 'Happy Birthday, Martha' cake.

"Oh you're a life saver," Lizzie said floored as Justine winked, "I enjoy catering things Lizzie and planning parties."

"Thank-you for this...all of it, now about paying you..."

"I don't want any money, Lizzie."

"Why?"

"I want you and Martha to enjoy your day..." Justine smiled again before she walked towards the kitchen leaving Lizzie to tie up balloons and Lenny to help her out with decorating Martha's 'birthday' table.

"You know, we see him in here every now and then," Lenny began, while he stood on a ladder, putting up a sign that said, "Guess who's Three? Martha-bee!"

"Who?" Lizzie tried to play dumb, but she could only imagine one person Lenny was referring too.

"David, he came in asking Justine about you and wanted to know how you were two nights ago."

"That's too bad for me, isn't it? I'm surprised he didn't just drop off a birthday gift like he sent Martha one the past two years. I gave birth to her at Glenbogle and had no word from him until she turned one and then he started calling me out of the blue every four to six weeks---I wouldn't return his persistent calls if he rang me while I was at work. I didn't talk to him on the phone, if I knew it was him trying to ring me late at night, and during the day if I answered and it was him I said, 'Martha was fine and to leave me alone.' He'd go away for another six weeks and then pop up again...I had basically a David-stalker on my hands for the past three some years!"

"Oh," Lenny replied after climbing down off the ladder and then glancing at Lizzie, who made a funny face at Martha and blew up a balloon and set it free as it zoomed around the room before running out of air and landing on the floor near the door. Martha just laughed, "Mummy!"

"However, Lenny, the past three weeks he's been a thorn in my side, now phones more and begging to see Martha left and right. He'd keep asking me if we were okay and I told him we were fine, asked if I needed money, I told him no, to leave us be. David would want to see Martha and blamed me for being 'difficult and that I was preventing him from seeing her'—which I'm not and wasn't. I gave in and met him in a park last week...he looked horrible, Lenny, but I just let it go...not my problem, it's---?"

"Mine," answered a very scruffy looking David, with the balloon that Lizzie had set free in his hands, but Lizzie didn't turn around, she just picked up Martha and held her close, "Don't be startled, Liz."

"Why are you here? I told you we wouldn't be meeting in the park today." Lizzie stammered as Lenny spoke up, "Sorry Lizzie thought you were getting on okay, since Justine told me you were talking now, and so invited him...you need me to do something about it?"

Lizzie shook her head 'no' and David asked, "Lenny, can I have a minute with her?"

Lenny shrugged and Lizzie passed off Martha to him as he made way to the kitchen of the restaurant. David stared at Lizzie, "I did it."

"Did what?" Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"I'm single now."

"David, I don't need to hear about this..." Lizzie went back to the birthday favors and started stuffing them in bags and Martha's toddler playground that Lizzie ran would be showing up soon for the party.

"You need to listen to me..."

"David, what?"

"Sarah left me for good, we divorced—everything final last week, I want to tell you at the park...I--?"

"David, I don't have time for this...there's ten toddlers and their parents showing up in ten minutes, make yourself useful for once." Lizzie placed a favor bag into his hands and then took her eyes off of him, but he continued to stare at her.

"I knew about the party, when I asked about meeting you and Martha in the park. I wanted to tell you everything, Liz..." David confessed as Lizzie grumbled, "I didn't invite you, David because..."

"You're being difficult again."

"David, I'm not the one who looks---?"

"Horrible?"

"You said it."

!--if !supportLineBreakNewLine--  
!--endif-- 

"You said it too."

Lizzie went back to setting up the table...

"Lizzie, I miss you."

"Nice to be missed, but you're not fooling me this time..."

"Lizzie, I'm losing my job."

"David what?" Lizzie stopped scattering about and looked at him empathetically as he replied, "I'm jobless, homeless, and now penniless as of next week."

"How did this happen, David?" Lizzie glanced at him.

"Sarah's taking the flat and all of the money, I haven't done much work for my employer, financial advising and accounts wise, and they want to 'let' me go. They told me to be out of my office on Monday. I don't have anywhere to go Lizzie, I don't have a back up plan...things with Sarah started going south again a year ago..."

"Oh, I see around the time when you started calling me, nice David, real nice---one thing to use me, but our daughter is a complete different story!" as Lizzie put two and two together, David was trying to get 'emotional support from her because he wasn't getting it in his marriage' and used not only her, but Martha to do it. "Gee, I'm sorry, but you've mistaken me for someone who cares at the moment, which I do not," Lizzie snipped as David held out his hand to stop Lizzie from walking past him.

"Look, I frigged it all up almost three years ago and you can blame me all you like for it. I don't need the sympathy..."

"But reek of wanting it, David and from me...I don't have enough energy for you, you wear me down, don't you get it? Martha and I are doing very well without you. I only agreed for you to see her last week because you are her father..."

And then ten busy tweeners and their parents wandered into the restaurant and Lizzie plastered a huge fooling grin on her face as she walked past David to greet Martha's birthday guests. Justine and Lenny walked out with Martha and David immediately glanced at her, dressed in purple shirt, purple skirt, purple leggings and black shoes with her wavy brown hair in piggy-pink tails tied up with bright purple bows. Martha was set down by Lenny as she giggled and ran to her friends. David gazed at Lizzie and Justine said, "Why don't you help me in the kitchen?" to David as he followed her lead...

"She really hates me..." David said in the kitchen as Justine added, giving him a look, "No, she doesn't hate you, David. Lizzie MacDonald is a very strong woman and hate isn't exactly in her vocabulary, bitterness, maybe, anger, definitely, and sadness too. She's independent, overwhelmingly reasonable, and kindred hearted. I have to tell you, if I were in her shoes I wouldn't have let you see Martha last week, understand?"

Justine took the top off of a platter of vegetables and dip and presented it to David, "Now, you can either sink or swim, I prefer you to swim, so go out there, spend time with Martha and show Lizzie a good time...maybe she'll actually cool down and talk to you with out being aggravated."

David accepted the platter from Justine, wandered out from the swinging kitchen door and his eyes met Lizzie's again. Lizzie's heart fluttered a bit when they locked eyes, but she tried to avoid it. David, without a job, not married, looking like someone shot his dog, and standing there wanting Lizzie and Martha again---the thoughts just cluttered up her mind during the whole party.

Georgia, Lizzie's 'co-teacher and founder' of the tweener playgroup, wandered up to Lizzie, "Who's he?"

"Martha's father..." Lizzie sighed and Georgia hugged her, "You all right?"

"I don't know." Lizzie noticed David setting down the platter on the food table and starting to converse with other parents and making goofy faces at Martha and some of the other toddlers. David tried to pull himself together, just like he had during the time Lizzie was pregnant with Martha---until those last two weeks...

"He looks kinda haggard, why?" Georgia asked as her daughter Winnie wandered up to her, wanting a balloon...David had started to take the long slender balloons that Justine and Lenny provided and started turning them into animals.

"Long story, I mean, you divorce your wife, you lose your job, and then to come crawling back to the birth mother of your only child...think he has a right to be that way?"

"Um, well, he has a right to make the best of it, by the looks of it, he is..." Georgia agreed as Lizzie laughed, "Okay, so you're taken by him, maybe you should wear my shoes and pretend you're me."

"Lizzie, he's here, Martha's father is here. You should enjoy it since we put this together for Martha's honor." Georgia nodded her head to Justine and Lenny, and then to David.

After the party, Lizzie helped Justine and Lenny clean up the restaurant as she placed Martha in her stroller, hugged them both and decided it was time to take off. She put her jacket on and then said, "Thank-you for helping me out like this. The party was such a success and I owe you two."

Justine smiled, "You don't owe us a thing."

"I'll pay you both back some how..." Lizzie laughed and grinned mischievously.

"Have a nice evening, Martha," Justine bent down to tweak her nose and handed her one of her new toys.

_No matter which way you go  
No matter which way you stay  
You're out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
I was walking with a ghost  
I said please please don't insist  
I was walking with a ghost  
I said please please don't insist  
No matter which way you go  
No matter which way you stay  
You're out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
Out of my mind  
I was walking with a ghost..._

Tegan and Sara's Walking with a Ghost J

Lizzie and Martha walked out of the restaurant, but she had forgotten the bag of Martha's opened presents as she went to open the door, David held out the bag.

"Oh, thanks."

"Off to the lavvy and then you bail on me," David tried to crack a joke, but Lizzie just snickered out, "No fun bailing on someone is it?"

"Low blow, Liz, I know I deserve it...but..."

"The David I know has no conscience, oddly, you act you have one, this is a new turn of events," as Lizzie strolled Martha down the street and David lagged behind them. He had decided to carry the bag of gifts.

"Lizzie, we were getting along in there, you looked like you were having fun, what happened?"

"You, trying to follow me home like a wee lost puppy."

"Woof, woof!" David said, barking and panting at Martha as the toddler giggled and barked too. Lizzie rolled her eyes again before David added innocently, "Lizzie, I have no where else to go..."

"Hmmmm, so where have you been sleeping then?" Lizzie stared at him for an answer...

"A friend's... Rory's," David brought his eyes up to hers.

"You're now home bouncing?" Lizzie retorted and kept pushing the stroller and avoided looking back at David.

"Lizzie, I've known you so long...what happened to cutting me some slack?"

"David, I let you spend time with your daughter, not time with me..." Lizzie halted the stroller at an intersection and turned to glare at David again.

"I said it before and now again, I miss you."

"David, I'm one block from my place, I'll take that bag, and you can go away now..." Lizzie stretched out her hand for the bag and David said, while grasping the bag with Lizzie, "I love you."

Lizzie couldn't believe it..._he stooped so low by telling her he loved her?_

"What on earth does that mean?"

"Means you're my soul mate, I love you, and don't you get it?"

"You're delusional, David. I'm going home." Lizzie grabbed the bag and left him in the intersection while strolling towards her flat. David blew out a breath, scratched the back of his head, and turned towards the direction they came from...when...

Lizzie stopped pushing the stroller, realizing David was still Martha's father and she'd probably never forgive herself if something did happen to him. Lizzie then yelled out across the busy street, "David!"

David stopped walking and turned to look at her and yelled back, "What?" as he cantered across the street and stopped in front of her.

"Oh for crying out loud, I care about you too...just come home with me." Lizzie offered, "You can have the sofa bed, just don't scare Martha in the morning, she gets up and out of bed now, looking for me since I put her in her own room."

"You only have a one bedroom?"

"It's Martha's...I normally sleep on the sofa..." Lizzie commented as David's grin grew wider...hoping he was getting an in with Lizzie on that sofa.

"Well, then you could..."

"David, I'll bunk in the bathroom," Lizzie said seriously.

"What does that mean?" David didn't seem to care for that idea much...

"I'll sleep in the bathtub...since I'm good at it like my father." Lizzie remarked sensibly as David laughed, "You remember what happened when you---?"

David's mouth went into a smile as Lizzie rolled her eyes again, "I don't need to be reminded of Florence thanks, I have a 24 hour reminder of the place with me everyday and I love it, don't I? Sweet pea." As Lizzie talked soothingly to Martha who just said, "I love Mummy! Go home...Go home..."

"Now you have two..." David chuckled and quipped as Lizzie blinked bewildered at him.

"Two what?"

"Reminders... and going home with you," David spoke of himself too as they made it to her block and climbed the steps with the stroller and gifts before entering the building. Lizzie and David journeyed to her first floor apartment, opened the door and then traveled inside. There were photos of Glenbogle everywhere on Lizzie's flat's walls-the house, the village school, and two different views of the loch. There were also pictures of Archie and Molly taken on the loch beach, photos of Molly and Hector at their 40th wedding anniversary, and one photo of two very smiling pretty girls, Katrina and Lizzie, at age 12 on a shelf over the TV in the corner of the large lounge/ kitchenette.

Lizzie's flowered sofa faced the TV as she had a coffee table in front of it and down to the right was Martha's bedroom and across the bedroom was the bathroom. Lizzie had offered Martha her own room as soon as she came into the world.

David smiled, and then spoke right up, "You know, I could take over the bathroom..."

"Why don't you? While you're in there, shave, shower, do something with yourself...you really do look terrible and you're starting to smell funny, what do you think Martha? No wonder why your employer---?" Lizzie picked up Martha from the stroller and she giggled while looking at David.

"Don't say it." David got slightly defensive, laughed it off and made a face at Martha as Lizzie smiled cheeky, "I haven't taken care of myself because of you, you know..."

Lizzie shrugged him off and his charm with another giggle, "Look, just do something with your self, David, aye? We'll talk about this all later..."

David smiled again and then smelled himself, "Right, soap and water would do the trick," as he wandered into the bathroom and Lizzie had let him in again not just into her flat but into her heart.

The End (for now)


End file.
